Improvement in clasps for securing the covers to milk and other cans



G. 0. c. R-ANSOM & CHARLES SMITH. 3

Improvement in Clasps for Securing the Covers to Milk and other Cans.

N0.127,794. I Patentedlune 11,1872.

FIG'I FIG.2.

I CL l K a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE D. O. RANSOM AND CHARLES SMITH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLASPS FOR SECURING THE COVERS TO MILK AND OTHER CANS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,794, dated June 11, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE D. O. RAN- SOM and CHARLES SMITH, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented. anew and useful Improvement in Clasps for securing the (lovers upon Milk or other Cans while being transported upon railroad cars, wagons, &c.; and we hereby decl are the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which is lettered to correspond with and form a part of the specification.

To enable the public to understand the nature of our joint invention, and those skilled in the mechanic arts to construct thesame, we will describe it as follows, to wit:

Figure 1 represents the front side elevation and top of a milk-can having our improved clasp A O O (3, fashioned of sheet metal, and secured and held into position by means of the side links d d and loop 1), which forms apart of swinging section 0 and passesthrough the slit or opening a, made to receive itthe 1oop-in the right-hand swinging section of the band C, which circumscribes the neck of the can. The top plate or strap A passes over upon the top of the .lid 0, and is secured at the ends thereof to the upper sides of the square links d d.

Fig. 2 is a similar elevation to Fig.1 of a milk or other can provided with a wire clasp in lieu of sheet metal, the same being constructed in sections of curved wire A A A A, held into the required shape to fit over and press upon the lid of the can 0 by the rings B B R R, which also secure the circumscribing sections B B B B, the loose ends of the latter being turned up so as to form two vertical loops when brought together and passed through the binding-loop L, to be secured around the neck of the can by a padlock, in a similar manner to Fig. 1.

The utility of our joint improvement is well understood by milkmen who are in the habit of shipping milk upon railroad cars, where the cans are frequently robbed of one-half of their contents before they are received by their owners; but by the use of our apparatus we are enabled to prevent the above loss.

We are aware that spring-catches have been used to secure the covers to milk-cans, and that single haspsand staples are in common. use for such purposes; but we are not aware that clasps constructed in several sections to pass over the entire top and around the neck of the can have ever been used for the purpose specified. Hence the novelty of our joint invention consists in the combination of the several sections of either sheet metal or wire, held in position by means of links or rings, substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, or 2 and 4, for the ostensible purpose set forth. 1

Therefore- What we claim as our joint invention, and wish to protect by Letters Patent of the United States, is

A clasp, constructed in sections of sheet metal, A O G O,andlinks cl cl, loop 1), and slit n; or a clasp, constructed in sections of wire, A A A A and B B B B, loop L, andrings R R R R, combined and arranged substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we hereunto subscribe =our names in the presence of two witnesses. GEO. D. O. BANSOM. CHARLES SMITH.

Witnesses:

JAMES P. MCLEAN, J. RITCHIE MCLEAN. 

